| Module Code: ENG1044 |
Module Title: INDIVIDUAL REVIEW OF A COMPANY OPERATION (PROJECT) |
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Module Provider: Engineering Teaching Group
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Short Name: SE5112
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Previous Short Name: SE5112
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Level: HE1
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Module Co-ordinator: WICKENS HG Mr (Eng Teach Gp)
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Number of credits: 20
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Number of ECTS credits: 10
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| Module Delivery |
| Spring Semester |
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| Assessment Requirements |
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Units of Assessment
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Method(s)
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Weighting towards Module Mark
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Continuous assessment
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weekly meeting minutes
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10%
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Continuous assessment
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middle semester presentation
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5%
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Continuous assessment
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final presentation
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15%
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Continuous assessment
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final report
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70%
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Students’ understanding of the theory of company structure, operation and management will be assessed through their applications of these theories to the company review assignment.
Marks will be awarded to the group for each element of the project namely the report, the presentations and the review sessions with the supervisors. These will be combined to give a single group mark. Individual elements are weighted as shown above
The mark awarded to each student will be the mark awarded to the group multiplied by an individual weighting factor reflecting both the supervisory staffs’ and the group members’ views of each students input to the group activity. These weighting factors will be calculated using a confidential response form completed by each group member and submitted with the Final Report.
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| Module Overview |
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| Prerequisites/Co-requisites |
| Normal entry requirements for degree course in ETITB. Parts of this module builds on module SE5109 |
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| Module Aims |
To provide students with an understanding of the structure, operation, and management of technological companies from both the theoretical and real life aspects. The project aims to ensure the students understand the basic functions of a technological company, factors that differentiate technological companies from non-technological companies, key stages in product development and research, challenges and opportunities in global markets, and organisational changes and evolution stages in technological companies. |
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| Learning Outcomes |
It is intended that, by the end of the module, students will:
- Be familiar with the organisation and the business functions of technological companies
- Understand the product lines and the business units that support industrial/software production processes.
- Understand basic management issues of the supply chain.
- Be able to study organisational paradigms for large-scale companies and SMEs.
- Be able to adopt a systematic approach to analysing a company’s operation and structure.
- Understand the differences between the operations and structures of companies of different sizes.
- Have some understanding of company finance.
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| Module Content |
The project consists of two major elements
(1) A series of lectures and seminars with case studies by staff and company executives on company structure, operation and management.
Business Basics
- Types of business
- Functions and organisations
- Technical function, profiles and objectives
- Design constraints and implementation
- Company finance and sources of finance
Business Strategy and Technology
- Strategic role of technology
- Planning in general
- Business planning
- Technology and the strategic position
- Building a technological strategy
Technological Companies
- Growth, maturity and decline
- Stable mechanistic and organic adaptive organisations.
Organisation and Management.
- Organisation structure and design
- Company organisation
- Organisational control
- Organisational goals
- Social responsibility & ethics
- Systems and contingency approach to O&M
- Behaviour and motivation
- Group dynamics
- Managerial decision making
Some of the above materials will be covered by guided self-study.
(2) Group work to review an existing company on its history, products, market orientation, market share, supplies, financial model and status, share price performance (if applicable), management structure, employment and social policies, R&D activities, major competitors and future directions. |
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| Methods of Teaching/Learning |
Students will attend seminars on both the theory and case studies about company structure, operation and management. Students will also undertake self-studies of some of the theories guided by members of staff.
For the company review students work in small groups, each of which will be supervised by a member of staff and have timetabled meetings every other week, at which progress will be reviewed and tasks for each member of the group in the following weeks will be decided. Minutes of these meetings will be produced by the students and submitted at the end of the project. The students will visit the identified company and interview the company staff if possible.
During the course of the project, each group will make two presentations to all the other groups, one in the middle of the semester and the other at the end of the project.
24 hrs of seminar and external lectures, 6 hrs of group discussions, 30 hrs of presentations and company visits etc, and 140 hrs of independent study.
Total student learning time 200 hours. |
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| Selected Texts/Journals |
Recommended background reading
Johnson G and Scholes K, Exploring Corporate Strategy, Financial Times, Prentice Hall.
Kirby DA, Entrepreneurship, McGraw Hill.
Kotler P, Armstrong G, Saunders J and Wong V, Principles of Marketing (European Edition), Prentice Hall.
Mintzberg H, Quinn BJ and Ghoshal S, The Strategy Process, Prentice Hall.
Mullins LJ, Management and Organisational Behaviour, Financial Times, Prentice Hall.
Torrington D, Hall L and Taylor S, Human Resource Management, Financial Times, Prentice Hall.
Required reading
none |
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| Last Updated |
15th August 2006 |
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